Science suggests that pesky mosquitoes may not be necessary for the environment!

Science suggests that pesky mosquitoes may not be necessary for the environment!

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were no mosquitoes? It’s a thought that most people have had at one point or another. Typically, it’s countered by a person who tries to be the voice of reason. Such a person says that if mosquitoes were to suddenly vanish, the results would be devastating to the ecosystem.

In reality, that may not be so. Other insects could simply replace mosquitoes in the diets of animals that currently feast on them. Even if there were some negative effects, they would be accompanied by some positives as well.

For example, one million lives would be saved per year because of the decline in malaria alone, which is spread by mosquitoes. There are numerous other diseases that mosquitoes have a role in that would also cease to medically and financially plague hard-hit areas.

Mosquitoes do contribute certain benefits to the environment, such as helping with pollination and plant decay. However, it may turn out that every species isn’t as vital to biodiversity as is commonly believed.

But don’t get your hopes up. Although the idea of eliminating mosquitoes as a nuisance does not lack popular support, humans lack the means to kill off an insect that is so populous and widespread.